Posts [ 12 ]

Topic: Best non-Lovecraft Cthulhu Mythos

I've been interested in exploring some more in this sub-genre of horror. How is Brian Lumley? How about Edward Lee's Lovecraftian work? Did Ramsey Campbell ever write a Lovecraft inspired novel, or just short stories?

Re: Best non-Lovecraft Cthulhu Mythos

I've only read Lumley's sci-fi and Vampyre works. Don't know about Lee or Campbell off the top of my head. Robert Bloch and August Derleth did some good work, of course. Robert Howard and Ashton Smith come to mind.

Re: Best non-Lovecraft Cthulhu Mythos

Robert E. Howard is my all time favourite writer (maybe Moorcock), and I am big fan of Clark Ashton Smith, but haven't read as much of his work compared to Lovecraft or Howard. But Howard at least doesn't really write much about the specific gods Lovecraftian mythology, he had his own gods, as did Smith so far as I can tell.

I also know Derleth and Bloch (didn't realize he had written Cthulhu mythos), but haven't read either yet. What of their's would you recommend?

Re: Best non-Lovecraft Cthulhu Mythos

Yeah, a bunch of people had an "expanded Lovecraft universe." Take the tone and theme and put your own spin on it. You could argue that King's It is Lovecraft influenced.

Derleth and Bloch mostly did short story work in the Lovecraft universe, so there is no signature work I can pick out. Or my memory is burnt out. Either is equally likely, lol.

For Derleth, I've read most of his work in various anthology collections (most of his stuff went to Weird Tales.Here is an anthology of his own work. "Shuttered House," "Paneled Room," and "Return of Hastur" are the ones I remember.

The interesting thing was Derleth started Arkham House publishing mainly for the purpose of publishing Lovecraft's work. He also introduced the phrase Cthulhu Mythos.

Re: Best non-Lovecraft Cthulhu Mythos

^^Yeah, I had to go look up their stuff since I knew they had written stuff, but it's been so long I had to double check on specifics/titles. I tossed in the extra info for fun. I really wish that I could have the recall you, Lon, Punk, and others have for interesting stuff.

Re: Best non-Lovecraft Cthulhu Mythos

I'm great with names, but terrible with faces. I always watch movies with my friends on Thursday nights, and there always naming off actors, and I'm always "WTF, mate?". Also nothing important ever sticks, it's just bands/musicians/songs, directors, writers, and magic cards. My brain is so filled with garbage it's amazing.

Re: Best non-Lovecraft Cthulhu Mythos

Oh yeah, I know about the face thing. When I meet someone for the first time in a social setting, I need to repeat his/her name in my head about 10 times so it sticks. And yet I can spew out Cat5e cabling is good to 100 meters at 350MHz off the top of my head. And I confuse stories/movies a bunch- one time for a Friday the 13th Movie Night I loaded up Halloween. Much confusion was felt by all, with much laughter once we figured out how badly I put the wrong movie in.

Re: Best non-Lovecraft Cthulhu Mythos

Love Howard, but I really don't consider his work part of the Cthulhu mythos, while similar in style and themes (Howard was 100x the author Lovecraft was stylistically), it is his own works, he was a contemporary of Lovecraft, not protege like Bloch, or even Derleth to a certain degree. Same goes for Clark Ashton Smith. Also for what it's worth Lovecraft prefered the term Yog Sothothery than Cthulhu Mythos, as it seems Derleth took his mythos more seriously than he himself.